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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006 Chinese Academic Fired for Fraud Technology Initiatives Target Public Health MTV Enters Online Music Market CHINESE ACADEMIC FIRED FOR FRAUD A Chinese academic has been dismissed following an investigation into charges that he faked research supporting the development of the Hanxin computer chip. The chip was said to be the first developed in China, and Chen Jin, the man behind the processor, was regarded highly for his efforts. Several months ago, however, rumors began circulating that Chen, then the dean of the Microelectronics School at Shanghai Jiaotong University, had produced fraudulent research and that he may also have stolen technology from a foreign company. University officials began looking into the allegations and later brought the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Shanghai government into the investigation. A panel ultimately determined that Chen's research had indeed been faked and that the Hanxin chip was not capable of performing as claimed. Chen has been stripped of his positions as dean and professor and has been ordered to repay research funds he received from the government. Zhao Nanyuan, a professor of automation at Tsinghua University, said the incident points to insufficient oversight in the country's system for evaluating such research. Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 May 2006 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/05/2006051508n.htm TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES TARGET PUBLIC HEALTH IBM is sponsoring two initiatives intended to bolster global public health efforts to avoid pandemics. In fall 2005, IBM hosted an event for leaders of the health community to share ideas about what contribution a technology company could make to support their efforts. The results are the Interoperable Health Care Information Infrastructure (IHII) and the Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeller (STEM). IHII mines health data and looks for patterns in symptoms, for example, that might anticipate the spread of a particular illness. Then the STEM applies that information to data about such topics as human travel patterns to help formulate efficient plans to limit the spread of the illness. A committee representing the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Scripps Research Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Biodiversity oversees these programs. Scripps and IBM will construct a facility in Florida to support the initiatives. CNET, 14 May 2006 http://news.com.com/2100-11393_3-6072041.html MTV ENTERS ONLINE MUSIC MARKET In what some see as a conspicuously late entry into the online music market, MTV is set to launch URGE, an online service both for music and videos. URGE will reportedly have more than two million tracks available when it debuts, and, similar to competing services from companies such as Apple and RealNetworks, consumers will be able to buy a subscription for unlimited downloads or pay for individuals tracks. Analysts noted that MTV's brand recognition should boost the appeal of the URGE service. URGE will be the featured music source for Microsoft's media player, and URGE songs are compatible with a wide range of portable devices. The exception, however, is the hugely popular iPod, of which Apple has sold more than 50 million since 2001. Steve Gordon, entertainment attorney, said, "Whether the consumer really wants a service that's only compatible with non-iPod players is going to be the big issue." Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music Group, pointed out that the online music industry remains new and said that URGE is not "about selling a million singles." San Jose Mercury News, 15 May 2006 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/14581158.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. To access resources including articles, books, conference sessions, contracts, effective practices, plans, policies, position descriptions, and blog content, go to http://www.educause.edu/resources ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/31 ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2006, EDUCAUSE
